Once in a Lifetime
by Zorlia
Summary: The Yorugata is your number one fix-it and delivery shop. Kurosaki Arashi has spent the last six years away from her family in another side of town making deliveries and being a part-time mechanic. One would think her business to be a normal one, if not a little shady considering where it resided. Only, most of the deliveries, and her income, come from or go to Urahara Kisuke.
1. Prolouge

_It was dark_

_It was quiet_

_It was warm_

_That was when she saw the lights._

_It was bright_

_It was loud_

_It was cold_

_The rain continued to fall as if nothing happened._

_It was dark_

_It was quiet_

_It was warm._


	2. Chapter One

I would like to give a light warning of cursing. If that is not your cup of tea, please find another tea shop and read their fanfics.

* * *

_Lights, screams, pain; rain falling on to pale skin..._

At two in the morning a dark haired woman woke to the sound of a phone ringing beside her head. Coal eyes blinked as she tried to adjust to reality. She looked at the ID on the cell, and groaned out loud. Any other time she might have ignored the call, but knowing the caller, it would just keep ringing.

"You must have a fucking death wish to call me at two in the morning Kisuke." Despite being just woken up, the threat was as sharp as ever, and one would be foolish to not take it seriously. Perhaps this is why she considered Urahara Kisuke as an idiot.

"Hello Ara-chan! How are you this fine morning?" Kurosaki Arashi felt a familiar vein begin to pulse at Kisuke's cheery voice. It was as if the man didn't know that it was too early for even the sun. Besides, he of all people knew that she never got to bed early in the night. At best, she's currently received a few hours rest. And he asks her how her morning is?

"Bastard, you damn well know what it's like. What the hell do you want?" There was a throaty chuckle on the other end and Arashi could almost see that stupid smirk on his face.

"My, aren't you a little grumpy this morning?" Grumpy didn't even cover it. Arashi nearly growled into the phone at his teasing voice. Didn't the man have anything better to do than annoy her?

"Kisuke. What. Do. You. Want." Arashi snarled at Kisuke. She was tired and didn't want to put up with his bullshit this early in the morning. Kisuke, for his part, recognized the threat and got to the point.

"There should be a package for me at your shop. I need it delivered here." Arashi was in the middle of trying to lite a cigarette when he replied. She absently nodded her head to what he said, focusing on the flame of her lighter. It wasn't until after she took a drag from the now lit cigarette and watched the smoke billow out from her mouth that his words actually registered.

The cigarette nearly fell out of her mouth from all the yelling and cursing she threw at Kisuke. The man merely laughed on his end and said that he'd be waiting. Arashi promptly snapped the phone shut and threw it across the room. Hopefully it broke.

Arashi snuffed out her cigarette and laid back down, pulling the covers over her head harshly. The nerve of the man. Asking her at two in the morning to deliver a package. What the hell was Kisuke trying to pull?

Arashi closed her eyes to go back to sleep. In her dreams she saw a box. It was a normal box, labeled to go to Urahara's Candy Shop. Arashi stared down at the box, wondering just what was inside. Was it fragile? Explosive like that last package? Arashi stepped closer to take a better look. She narrowed her eyes at it. Her glare would set the thing on fire if it could. Suddenly, the box moved.

"AH GODDAMMIT!" Arashi flung herself out of her bed cursing at the top of her lungs, likely to be waking the neighborhood.

* * *

Kaze gave Arashi a blank look when she shoved the box in front of him. The wolf-dog was woken by his master when she made all that noise not ten minutes earlier. Now, here she stood, pushing the box towards him with her foot.

Arashi wanted to get the blasted package out of her shop before its presence annoyed her any longer. Despite this, she did not want to blow up in her face while she was on the road. She decided that Kaze would be a good way of testing the thing. He'd sniff the box and if it was bad, he'd growl or bark. If it was clear, he'd do nothing. She'd seen it on the TV once. If those mutts could do it, Kaze could. The dog always had good judgment.

Kaze was a wolf-dog that Arashi adopted as a pup. He was in an alleyway, hurt and nearly starving to death. Arashi remembered that it was raining that day, and that she wondered how he had gotten in the city. She had taken him in and nursed the pup back to health. She didn't plan on keeping the dog, but anytime she tried to get rid of him Kaze would just back. Soon enough she got tired of trying and just kept him.

She was glad that she did. Kaze was her best friend, and she loved the dog to pieces. He was a great guard dog for the shop, intimidating any unwanted characters, and he was as fast as the wind; hence the name.

"Go on, sniff it. I don't have all day." Kaze flicked his ears, seeming to give his master what would classify as a raised eyebrow, and sniffed the box. Arashi watched as he gave the box his full attention, still seeming to radiate an air of amusement and curiosity. sometimes she swore that the dog was more human than animal. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that the dog was laughing at her as his did as he was told.

Kaze stopped sniffing after a minute or so, catching Arashi's attention. The dog looked up to her, and seemed to be smirking as he gave a slight shake of his head. Arashi stared at the dog, slightly unnerved by the actions, but shook them off as being tired. Besides, it wasn't the first time the dog did something weird.

Satisfied that the box wasn't explosive Arashi picked it up and strapped it to her bike. She raised the garage door just enough to get out and grabbed her helmet. She gave Kaze a glance over her shoulder before leaving.

"Watch the shop. No one comes in until I get back." Kaze gave a responding yip before lying back down. Arashi walked her bike out onto the street and lowered the garage door. Normally Kaze would come with her on deliveries, but she needed someone to watch the shop that also served as her home.

Arashi sped down the road on her bike, taking all the roads that she knew were empty and devoid of cops. The last thing she needed was to get a ticket, or go through the trouble of ditching the cops in a chase.

Arashi didn't know why exactly Kisuke need the package so early in the morning, or why the rush, but she didn't care either. She'd just up the price for all the trouble, then she'd raise the price even more for the hell of it. No one wakes her up in the ungodly hours of the morning and gets away with it.

When she made it to the shop, she was surprised not to see the brats outside. This ticked her off for some reason. He was fine with waking her up in the morning for work, but not those brats? Arashi mentally raised the price once again. Urahara was there instead to meet her. A smile adorning his face, making Arashi all the more angry. She had half the mind to throw the package at his face just to spite the man.

"Ara-chan! I'm glad you got here alright!" At that she did throw the package at him. She could help but feel smug happiness as it hit the man in the face. Serves the freak right.

"There's your damn package, now pay up so I can go home and sleep like everyone else in the world." Kisuke smiled at Arashi, as if he didn't have a bloody nose, and motioned her to come closer.

"Come on Ara-chan! Don't be such a stranger, come in!" Arashi got ready to snipe at the man that no, she did not want to come inside so pay up and stop calling her that already, but he promptly went inside the shop before she could. She gritted her teeth together and reminded herself that murder was frowned upon in polite society.

She stomped inside the shop, a cigarette stuck firmly in her mouth for the irritation that was bound to come. She knew that once she came inside, there was no leaving for some time. Kisuke was like that, much to her annoyance. After a few moments of Arashi telling him the price, and him complaining cheekily, which was returned with a few choice words and a punch, they were seated in another room drinking tea. Or, to be more accurate, Kisuke was drinking tea and Arashi was smoking, trying to ignore the man across from her.

"So, anything happen lately?" Arashi glanced over at the blonde, seeing him smiling at her in what could be a civil way. Not that she'd ever believe that. Sighing in annoyance, Arashi wondered just what it was that Kisuke wanted.

"No. Shop's been the same, the odd customer and such. Kaze is the same too. Haven't heard much from the others, but that's not surprising. That's it." Arashi exhaled some smoke and glanced at Kisuke, hoping she answered whatever it was he wanted. From the look on his face, she didn't.

"Hmm. That's it?" Mentally groaning, she racked her mind for what it possibly was that he wanted. Nothing to terribly strange had happened. Well, there was the rumor of the new gang in her neighborhood that supposedly meant business. Yet, she highly doubted that Kisuke was interested in such things if she herself wasn't. Then, something came to mind.

"Kaze's been restless lately. I think it's from the rise in hollows. Know anything about that?" Arashi was watching him, so she saw how Kisuke's eyes flashed at the news. Well, it seemed that she found her answer, now why did he ask her about it? Arashi, while would ship and deliver spiritually-related things from time to time, had nothing to do with hollows.

"Yes, the sudden rise in hollows is worrying. Be sure to be careful ne?" Arashi nearly rolled her eyes at that. What did he take her for, an idiot? It's not as if she'd go after the first hollow she sees, guns blazing.

"By the way, I heard that Karin had won the soccer tournament. Oh, and Ichigo-" Kisuke stopped at the sound of Arashi suddenly getting up. He peered up at the woman, whose eyes were clouded with an unreadable emotion.

"You have your package. I'm leaving." Kisuke didn't stop her as Arashi left the room in silent anger. He mentally sighed to himself before taking a sip from his tea. He expected no less from the woman, but he had hoped that it would be different this time.

* * *

Matsuda Hayate was going to drop by the shop before heading to school. He didn't care that he was going to be late because of it, but he was planning on leaving something to eat for Arashi. He knew that if he didn't, more than likely she'd forget to eat. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for her dog to attack him the moment he unlocked the door.

Kaze was the most feared dog in the neighborhood, hell Hayate wouldn't be surprised if it was the whole town. He swore the mutt was a demented demon, given how it attacked him whenever it had the chance.

Hayate had found himself on the ground, holding snapping jaws away from his face as he tried to keep the dog from killing him. He cursed the mutt to hell and back, and he tried to get it off of him. The result was an all out fight between man and dog as the two made a dust cloud in the struggle at the Yorugata's entrance.

This is what greeted Arashi when she came back. Taking her helmet off and lighting a smoke, she idly wondered if she should stop them. It was tempting to just let them fight it out, knowing that it would Kaze to win, but she also knew that Matsuda had school that day. Last thing she needed was his mother at her doorstep, blaming his bad grades and attendance on the shop. The fact that it was probably true was moot.

"Oi, Kaze, get off him." The effect was instant, Kaze jumped out of the fray and walked to his master like a king, a smug look on his face. Left behind was Matsuda, who was twitching on the ground with claw marks and several bites decorating his body. Arashi just knew he was going to get when he got to school, with how his uniform was in shreds.

"What the hell is wrong with that dog?" Arashi ignored the shouted question, choosing instead to crouch down and scratch Kaze's chin. The dog wagged his tail in delight at the treatment.

Hayate growled to himself. It was pointless. The woman was in love with the mutt, despite how evil it obviously was. He grabbed his things and walked to the street, getting ready to head to school.

"Here, it's a bento." Arashi took the gift, pausing in her actions to her pet. As she inspected the bento Hayate and Kaze got into some sort of a glaring contest. The dog angry for his lost of affection, and Hayate for the mere hell of it. He hated that mutt, so any chance to piss it off was taken.

"Isn't this you're school lunch?" Hayate looked up at that, somewhat surprised. she never asked that before when he brought his lunch over. It was strange. Arashi was staring at the bento with furrowed brows, cigarette smoke hiding her expression. Hayate shrugged at her.

"Yeah, my ma made it. Don't care though, she always puts stuff I don't like in it. I'll end up buying lunch either way. So its better to not let it go to waste." Arashi replied with a grunt, as if she didn't care.

"You're in high school now right?" Hayate glanced at Arashi again, confused. Just what was up with her this morning? Was she sick? He had half the mind to check, but he knew that she'd kick his ass to kingdom come if he even tried.

"Yeah. I go to Karakura High. Ma gave me no choice in the matter, said if I didn't go there she'd kick me out." Which annoyed Hayate. The school was all the way across town, he had to catch the train just to get there. He knew it was because all the schools around this area were no good. They were all filled with dropouts, gangs, and thugs. She was worried about him. Not that he couldn't take care of himself.

"Tch." Hayate was brought out of his musings when Arashi gave him a harsh kick that sent him to the ground a couple of feet away. Hayate groaned at the feel of a bruised nose, his face was the first to hit the asphalt.

"If you go there then why the hell are you here? Get going you idiot! And don't come back!" Arashi then made her way inside the shop, ignoring the male in the middle of the road, Kaze following. Hayate got up, grumbling about hormonal women and their crazy mood swings, and headed down the road.


End file.
